Box-sealing machine



w. PEET.

BOX SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAYZI, I919.

139G 59, Patent swam. ,JIIIZL 4- SHEETS-S EH 1.

WITNESS I IN VEN TOR ATTORNEYS W. FEET.

BOX SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY21,1919.

Patented Sept. 6 192 31.

. wwm I E WITNESS INVENTOR j @m mil mm l ei j; A TTORNE YS g w is k cmjZUI Q {SEEM m@ Q ini mm W. FEET.

BOX SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1919. L39fl59 Patentedfiept. 6, 1921.

4 SHEEISSHEEI' 3.

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WITNESS INVENTOR 5 I /////am Pee? ATTORNEYS W. PEET.

BOX SEALING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1919.

Patentedsept. fi, 1921-0 4 SHEEIS-SHEET 4.

WITNESS INVENTOR b A TTORNEY.

tnnren stares rarenr mien rm'r, or KANSAS crrr, meson-a1.

BOX-SEAEWG MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 66, 1921.

.tlppltcation filed ma 21, 1919. Serial No. 298,708.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Pam, a citi the time that the adhesive issetting.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box sealin machine whichmay be adjusted for sealing boxes of diderent heights.

A further object of the invention is to. provide means for feeding theboxes to which the adhesive has been applied, to the pressing andholding means'and to provide box operated means for throwing the feedingmechanism into operation and further means for stopping the feedingmechanism after the box has been placed in the pressing and holdingmeans.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, withthe foregoing, will be set forth at len th in the following description,where l s all outline in full, that form of the invention which I haveselected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming partof the present specification. in said drawings 1 have shown one specificform of my inven tion, but it is to be understood that I do not limitmyself to such form, since the invention, as expressed in the claims,may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the front end of the machine, showingthe feeding mechanism, the feeding mechanism controlling means and theforward end of the pressing and holding means.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rear end of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of that portion of the machine shown inFig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the continuation of the pressing and holdingmeans.

Fig. 3 is a cross section through the pressing and holding means, takenon the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the feed control means. I

The machine of my invention is particularly adapted for use in sealingfiber, cardboard, straW-board, corrugated board and other boxes havingsealing end flaps and side flaps which are folded into position andadhesively secured in position. The end flaps are usually first foldedinto position on the filled box and the upper surfaces thereof coatedwith glue or other adhesive and then the side flaps are folded intoposition in contact with the glued surfaces of the end flaps and thenheld firmly and pressed tightly against the folded end flaps until theglue sets.

The machine of my invention comprises a conveyor comprising a pluralityof parallel free rollers 3 over which the filled and unsealed boxestravel from the packing station to the sealing machine. From theconveyer the boxes t are moved to the feeding apparatus which isdisposed-adjacent the end of the conveyer. The feeding apparatuscomprises a table composed of a plurality of parallel free rollers 5, onwhich the unsealed oxes are set. The end fiaps dof the box are thenfolded down and the upper surfaces thereof coated with glue or otheradhesive and then the side flaps 7 are folded down into engagement withthe glued surfaces. The box is then ready to be fed into the presentinstance the side flaps 7 are of slightly less width than one-half thebox, so that when folded, the adjacent ends of the side flaps areslightly spaced apart.

The feed table rollers 5 arejou-rnaled in a suitable frame 8, andsecured to the opposite ends of the shafts of the front and rear rollers5, respectively, are sprockets 12 and 13, preferably disposed on theoutside of the frame. Engaging each pair of sprockets 12-13 is anendless drive chain 14, there being one chain 14 on each side of theframe. The chains are driven by the sprockets 15, secured to the shaft16 journaled below the rollers 5, which shaft is driven by the chain 17engaging the sprocket 18 on the shaft 16. The chain 17 is driven by thesprocket 19 secured to the shaft 21, which latter shaft is driventhrough the clutch 22 by the belt 23 connected to the motor 24 or othersource of power. The upper run of the chains 14.- moves in a plane abovethe upper surfaces of the rollers 5 and these chains are connected bypushers, preferably in the form of one or more rollers 25 which extendtransversely across the feed table. The rollers 25 are mounted at theiropposite ends in brackets 26 secured to the chains and to prevent thechains from being unduly kinked while the pushing roller is advancing afilled box, the brackets 26 are provided with backward extensions 27which bear against the chains at a distance behind the pushers, therebycausing the axis of the pusher roller to pivot, as it were, at a pointbehind the roller and thereby prevent any undue kinking or distortion ofthe chain due to the load being pushed. In the machine shown in thedrawings, I have shown two pusher rollers, but I do not\ limit myself tothe'u'se ofsuch number of pusher rollers. 1

The flap pressing and box holding mechanism is arranged at the dischargeend of the feed table and the pusher rollers move the boxes directlyinto the pressing and hold-- ing mechanism. The operation of thefeedingchains 14 is intermittent and box operated means are provided forthrowing the chains into operation, to cause the' pusher to move the boxfrom the feed table. Journaled at one side of the feed table frame, is avertical shaft 28, to which is fixed anarm 29 which projects over thefeed table into the path of a box moving there'over, Secured to theshaft 28 is a lever 31 which is mediately connected to the clutch shiper head 32 by the link 33 and lever 34. movement of the shipper head 32caused by the deflection of the arm 29 'by the box, thrdws the clutch inengagement; causing the chains 14 tobe driven to ash the box into thepressing mechanism. The operator after he has applied the glue andfolded the flaps, pushes the box against'the'arm 29, throwing the feedmechanism into operat1on..

After the box has been discharged from the feed table, the pusher rollermoves into contactwith a lever 35 arranged adjacent the discharge end ofthe table and in the path of the pusher roller. The lever 35 is pivotedto the frame of the pressing mecha-.

msm and is connected by a link 36 with a' bell crank 37 which in turn isconnected to the bell crank 38 by the link 39. The bell crank 38 isconnected to the lever 34 by the link 41 and the lever 34 is connectedto the clutch shipper head 32 as heretofore set forth. The movement ofthe lever 35 by the pusher roller moves the shipper head in a directionto disengage the clutch, thereby halting the movement of the feedingchains.

From the feed table, the box is fed into the pressing. and holdingmechanism. This mechanism comprises a frame having two sets of freelyrotatable rollers 42-43 journaled thereon, the rollers beinghorizontally disposed and parallel and the two sets being spaced apartvertically, so that the box passes between the upper and lower rollers.The lower rollers 42- are journaled on shafts 44 secured to the angleirons 45 arranged at opposite sides of the frame. The upper rollers 43are journaled on shafts 46 which are attached to the plungers 47 bearingin the channels 48 and pressed downwardly by the springs 49, so that theupper rollers are yieldingly mounted. and press against the folded sideflaps 7. The upper rollers 43 are a tably supported adjacent theirupperends on brackets 54 secured to the channels and are provided attheir upper ends wlth hand wheels 55, whereby the spindles may berotated. Rotation of the s indles causes the plunger carrying channe tobe raised or lowered, thereby varying the vertlcal distance between theupper and lower sets of rollers. Vertical guide rods 56, secur the frameat intervals and engaging in bearings 57 on the angle iron, guide thechannels in their vertical movement and hold the channels in properposition transversely with respect to the frame.

Means are also provided for preventing any flattening or distortion ofthe box due to the sealing pressure of the rollers and to prevent anyslip of the side flaps over the end flaps before the glue has set.Arranged at the forward end of the pressing apparatus and on each sidethereof, are a plurality of spaced rollers 58, which engage the sides ofthe box adjacent the top, to hold the sides firm against the sealingpressure. The rollers 58 are arranged relatively close together and arejournaled in frames 59 arranged on opposite sides of the box runway. Theframes 59 are supported on a plurality of adjusting screws 61 threadedthrough the brackets 62 secured to the channels. By

'movingthe screws 61, the spacing between of different widths. Theframes 59 are connected to the channels 48, so that .their vert1calposition with respect to the upper rolls remains fixed.

At the forward end offthe machine, the rollers 42 and 43 in each set arearranged c ose together, so that'a relatively uniform anism controlmeans arranged over the feed table in the path of the box. 1

naedoee rollers by the feeding mechanism, the entering box serving topush the others ahead of it.

I claim: U

1. An apparatus for sealing boxes, comprising pressing means throughwhich the boxes pass, mechanism for feeding boxes into the pressingmeans, and means operated by the box for throwing the feeding mechanisminto operation.

2. An apparatus for sealing boxes, comprising pressing means, a feedtable arranged in front of the pressing means, mech anism for movingboxes over the feed table and into the pressing means, and means adaptedto be engaged by a box on the feed table for throwing the movingmechanism into operation.

3. An apparatus for sealing boxes, comprising box pressing means, a feedtable arranged in front of the pressing means, a

pusher arranged to move over the feed table to push the box into thepressing means, mechanism for moving the pusher and mech- 4. Anapparatus for sealing boxes, com- 1 prising box pressing means, afeedtable arranged in front of the pressing means, a pusher movable overthe feed table to push the box into the pressing means, mechanism formoving the pusher and control means adapted to be engaged by the pusherfor throwing the pusher moving mechanism out of operation.

5. In an apparatus for sealing boxes, a feed table, a pushermovable overthe feed table, pusher moving mechanism, means disposed over the tablefor throwing the mechanism into operation, and means arranged'to beengaged by the-pusher for throwing the mechanism out of operation.

6. Inan apparatus for sealing boxes, a plurality of parallel rollersforming a feed table, a pusher arranged to move over the table todischarge the box therefrom, power driven means for moving the pusher,and means operated by the manual movement of a box over the table forthrowing the power driven means into operation.

7. Id an apparatus of the character described, a feed table, a pusherarranged to move over the table to discharge the box therefrom, powerdriven means for moving the pusher, and means operated by the manualmovement of a box over the table for. throyvmg the power driven meansinto operation. I

8 In an apparatus of the character described-,- a feed table, a pusherarranged to move over the table to discharge. the box therefrom, powerdriven meansfor moving the. pusher, means operated by the manualmovement of-a box overthe table for throwmg the power driven means intooperation and a device adapted to be engaged by the pusher after the boxhas been discharged,-'

for throwing the power driven means out,

of operation..

9. In an appartus of the character described, a plurality of parallelrollers comprising a feed table, endless chains arranged T at oppositesides of the table, a pusher se-,

cured to said chains and adapted to move over the table to discharge abox therefrom,

a driving sprocket engaging said chains, a shaft adapted to becontinuously driven from a source of power, a clutch between said shaftand sprockets, means operative bv a manual movement of a box over the Itable for engaging said clutch, and means. I

operated by contact with the pusher after the box is discharged, for,disengaging said clutch.

10. In an apparatus of the character de posed parallel rollers mountedon said frame, a second framearranged above said first frame, means forralsingand lowering said second frame, vert1callyd1sposedspr1ng pressedplungers mounted in said second frame, a set of horizontally disposedparallel rollers mounted in said plungers and spaced from said first setforming therebetween a box passageway, and vertically disposed parallelrollers carried by said second frame and arranged on both ides of saidpassageway, adapted to eng ge the upper portion of the box sides and tomaintain a substantially fixed relation vertically with respect to theupper set of said horizontal rollers.

12.;An apparatus for sealing boxes, comprising a box passagewayincluding a set of yieldingly mounted parallel rollers adapted to pressagainst one of the box ends during the passage of the box therethrough,and means adjustable in a plane parallel to the sides of the box adaptedto engage the box side adjacent the end that is being sealed. V A

13. An apparatus for sealing boxes, comprising a frame, a set ofhorizontally disposed parallel rollers mounted on said frame, a secondframe arranged above said first frame, a set of horizontally disposedparallel rollers yieldingly'mounted on said way adjustable in a planeparallel to the said sides of the boxes and adapted to engage the upperortion of the box sides. l4. apparatus for sealing boxes, comprising aframe, a set of horizontally dis posed parallel rollers mounted 'on saidframe, a second frame arranged above said first frame, means for raisingand lowering second frame, vertically disposed spring ressed plungersmounted in said second rame, a set of horizontally disposed parallelrollers mounted in said plungers and spaced from said first set formingtherebetween a box passageway, and means arranged on both sides of saidpassageway, 1

supported on' one of said frames and adjustable ina plane parallel tothe sides of the boxes adapted 'to engage the upper portion of the boxsides. 7

15. An apparatus for sealing boxes, comprising a box passageway,including means adapted to press against one of the box ends during thepassage of the box therethrough, and means adjustable in a planeparallel to the sides of the box adapted to engage the box side adjacentthe said end.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand at Oakland, California,this 26th day of April, 1919.

WILLIAM PEET.

In presence of L. L.- M. SALSBURY, J. B. GARDNER.

